Andrei Tarkovsky: where to start
Updated 2026-11-03
Andrei Tarkovsky is often called the greatest Russian film director. His films are slow, beautiful and mysterious, full of water, wind, fire and long silent takes. They can feel difficult at first, but many viewers find that once a Tarkovsky film gets under their skin, it never leaves.
Three of his Mosfilm films can be watched free on this site with English subtitles. Here is what to expect and the order we recommend.
1. Solaris (1972): the easiest door in
A psychologist arrives at a space station orbiting a strange ocean planet and meets his dead wife, or something that looks exactly like her. It is science fiction, but it is really about memory, guilt and love. The story is clear enough to follow easily, which makes it the best first Tarkovsky.
2. Stalker (1979): the masterpiece
A guide leads a writer and a scientist into the Zone, a forbidden area where a room is said to grant your deepest wish. Very little happens, and yet the film is almost unbearably tense. It has influenced filmmakers, writers and video game designers around the world.
Stalker (1979)
Written by the Strugatsky brothers. Watch it on the biggest screen you can, with no distractions.
Watch free →3. Mirror (1975): the most personal
Mirror has no simple plot. It mixes memories of Tarkovsky's childhood, his mother, the war and his own adult life, with poems read by his father, the poet Arseny Tarkovsky. Watch it last, and let it wash over you rather than trying to solve it.
Tips: Tarkovsky's films reward patience. Watch in the evening, in one go, and do not worry if you do not understand everything the first time. Many people only fall in love with them on a second viewing.
